What Happens Gradually
by Dattebayo Devon
Summary: Sometimes the things that are too sudden aren't the best ways to approach something. Eventual Shizuo X Mikado, but not quite yet. HIATUS.
1. The First Proposal

**AN: **Once again, this is another one of our stupid ideas. We're both putting equally hard work into this fanfiction. We've heard the cries of Mikado X Shizuo fans, and we're answering! Although, for the first few chapters or so, we're just kind of setting up the stage for future drama to unfold… so pleeeeeassse don't expect the relationship to develop in this chapter [We probably won't be that great at it, but if we manage to get at least one review for this we'll do our best to continue it]. We're working on five different fanfictions right now, including one request and four of our own ideas, so please be patient with us. This chapter was originally twice as long, but Kitty doesn't like long chapters, and she's forbidden for me to write more than "eight" pages in the word document processor (under certain settings) for each chapter. So I've cut the last half off and I'm saving that for the second chapter (so our little Shizuo-chan doesn't really do anything in this chapter. Blame the Kitty!), while in this chapter I sort of leave you all on a cliffhanger. And we know the Story Title is Lame! We really can't think of anything good at the moment! The rating may go up in the future, too... Oh well. Read and Review!

**Disclaimer: **We do not in any way own the characters/scenes/… oh you know the drill I'm sure.

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**What Happens Gradually…**

**A Durarara! Fanfiction by Kitty & Foxy**

**Chapter One: The First Proposal

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Kida Masaomi kept on picking up his phone, staring at it, and setting it down on the bed next to him. Picking it up, staring at it, and setting it down. Pick it up, stare, set it down. He was contemplating if today was the day: the day he'd gather up enough courage to do what he had realized was what he had wanted to do. What his heart had been telling him to do.

He finally felt that he had mustered up enough courage, and opened up his cell phone and began dialing a number. He held the phone to his ear, and held his breath as he listened to the dial tone ringing. _Once, twice, thrice…_

Finally, on the fourth ring, a voice answered. "Hello?"

"Mikado! It's Masaomi!" Despite his nervousness, he felt his true, natural self start to pour out the moment the tension came.

"Kida-kun?"

"Yeah! You wanna hang out today? It'll be a lot of fun-!" Masaomi's voice became quite childish as he rambled on and on; he could be himself in front of Mikado. He didn't have to be the serious gang leader, or the intelligent mastermind of anything. He could be just a regular teenager. A life which he wished he could grab back; a life that his friends offered him. He could be the true self that he was meant to be. _But now, one friend has become more than that…_

He heard a sigh on the other end of the phone, and he took the moment to stop rambling. "Well then?"

"Sure, where do you want to meet?"

Masaomi smiled as he chose a random meeting area, and hung up. His smile only grew wider as he grabbed the pillow on his bed, and hugged it tightly. _I'm going to do it, I'm not going to chicken out this time!_  
*

Ryugamine Mikado stared, puzzled, at his best friend's back as the two walked down the street. It wasn't strange for Kida-kun to just call him from time to time in order to hang out, but it _was_ weird that the boy hadn't said much for their entire walk to the park. In fact, Mikado had assumed that Kida-kun just wanted to go out to pick up girls, but if that were so then wouldn't Kida-kun be asking girls along the way to wherever he was going? _Maybe he's got something else on his mind… he looks pretty nervous._ He noted.

Masaomi was easily slipping through the crowds of people as he moved forward towards his destination. It was quite impressive, considering how he had his mind somewhere else entirely. Most people would have bumped into a dozen or so people if they had as much on their minds as he had on his at that time, but then again, being his other self had conditioned him to always be cautious of his surroundings. He was used to dodging people and things.

He had to make this good. If he was going to do this, he had to do this right. He had to do something that was next to impossible for him, and something he had never attempted to do before: have Mikado take him seriously.

But then his heart was crying out at the same time. The little chibi-version of him in his mind was bouncing off the walls, screaming: "_Just be yourself!_" and "_Proclaim it to the whole world!_". But if he did _that, _Mikado might never take him seriously.

The mental battle continued all the way to the park. He barely heard Mikado's questions as the two had walked there, and he was sure that Mikado was getting a little impatient. _I can't hold it off any longer, can I_?

Mikado's impatience grew ever slowly as he stood there for nearly five minutes – _five minutes!_ – trying to get his friend's attention. Kida-kun was just staring off somewhere, making all these bizarre expressions reflecting whatever was on his mind. "Kida-kun!" He finally shouted, snapping Masaomi back to the present.

"Huh?" Masaomi sweat-dropped; he should've been paying attention to reality rather than battling the inevitable.

"Kida-kun, what did you call me out here for? You're not behaving normally at all." Mikado frowned.

Masaomi acknowledged Mikado's words, but he still wasn't fully in reality. _"Just be yourself! Yourself! Mikado will believe you!"_ He inhaled deeply, and turned around, trying to keep his face in a serious expression.

But that only lasted a few seconds, for the little chibi-Masaomi in his brain had decided to mimic the story of the little Dutch boy who had put his finger in the dike – only the chibi performed the opposite and pulled his finger out. Masaomi suddenly felt himself begin to pour out with all of his heart, with the biggest and goofiest and most tearful look a human can possibly express plastered on his face.

"Oh, Mikado, it's sooooo unfaaaaaaair!"

Mikado blinked, taken slightly aback by his friend's sudden outburst. "Wh-what is?"

Masaomi spread his arms out wide, the childish expressions still pouring out on his face. "Oh how long I've been seeking, seeking for the longest time the girl, or girls –" – (Masaomi had never considered himself as a one-woman man) – "of my dreams!"

Mikado inwardly sighed, now slightly amused, realized that this was probably another one of his random "pick-up chicks scenes." The black-haired boy inwardly shook his head, deciding to watch his friends' spectacle.

Masaomi closed his eyes and brought the back of his hand to his forehead in the manner one would see an actor use in a dramatic Shakespearian play. "Alas, how I've tortured myself with my own ignorance! Seeking where there was nothing to be found!"

Mikado closed his eyes as a small sweat drop appeared on his forehead. _What does that even mean?_

"How the gods must have laughed as they watched me stumble along, unwary of where my true desires lie!"

_How long is he planning to ramble on?_

With sudden and brief movements that Mikado had not been able to see, Kida cupped Mikado's hands in his own and looked up at Mikado with his eyes sparkling. It made the black-haired boy feel quite uncomfortable.

"Oy, Mikado, have you ever heard of love at first sight?" He said, his eyes still sparkling.

"Err… yeah, sure." Mikado responded nervously.

Kida-kun let out a laugh. "Well, it's obvious my friend, that the eyes are indeed more intelligent than the brain, for I have been in love for the better part of my life and have never realized it!"

Mikado laughed uneasily. "Eh-heh-heh… yeeah okay Kida-kun. I'm… happy for you… I think." He attempted to pull his hands away, but Kida-kun kept hold of them tightly.

Kida's eyes grew wider, and sparkled even more (was that even possible? Apparently it was). "Re-REALLY? You're happy too Mikado?" His face turned into that of a happy puppy's.

"Ummm…. Yeah, sure, why wouldn't I be?"

Masaomi let go of Mikado's hands (which Mikado quickly pulled away) and slouched his arms at his sides, a huge expression of relief all over his face. He felt his jitters ease, but his excitement accelerate. "Ahh, well that takes a LOAD off my mind then." He chuckled nervously. "Ha-hah, and I was worried you wouldn't approve of my love."

Mikado offered a friendly smile. "Well, if it's love for someone you've known for a long time, then yeah I'm happy you've figured this ou—"

"BE WITH ME, MIKADO!"

"Uhhh… pardon?" His smile quickly froze into a confused expression as his face turned white as a sheet.

Suddenly, a single rose appeared in Mikado's face as Kida-kun was kneeling down in front of him. _He can't be serious—_ "Kida-kun, what are you do—" Mikado's eyes glanced around and that was when he realized that _everyone_ in the general vicinity of them in the park was staring at them. His face went from white to red in an instant.

"_All_ the girls I've ever tried to pick up in the past have done nothing but run away from me. But you won't do that, right, Mikado? Yes, you've always stayed, enchanted by my words!"

_En-enchanted?_ Mikado wasn't sure if he was embarrassed, confused, or angry. "Wait, Kida-kun! Th-this is a girl you're talking about, right? A girl from middle school or someone I don't know, right?"

Kida laughed, making numerous hand gestures to go with whatever he said. "Hah-hah-hah. What? Silly, I'm talking about our brotherhood that only now I have had the light shed upon! I now see the undeniable attraction that has pulled us together since we were toddlers!"

Full-blown realization finally hit Mikado. "H-how can you say that you've had a crush on me since—" Mikado's blush and stuttering only grew when he heard some nearby teenage girls start to giggle. _At them._

"Oh yes, Mikado! I know I've been such a fool, never trusting my eyes with what they saw as a diamond in the rough, and I the rag to polish it!" Masaomi got up in a flash, and before Mikado knew it, Masaomi was leaning two inches away from Mikado's face. "But give me a chance, Mikado, to make up for my mistake! Let me fawn over you like I had foolishly done to all those girls that passed us by in the streets! Let me walk hand in hand, tell you that I love to watch your slim hips sway –"

"My hips don't sway! I'm a guy!" Mikado yelled, his face a glowing red. Was he angry? Confused? Disturbed? Probably a combination of them all.

"Oh but _Mika-chan_—" _Mika-chan? He did NOT just call me that…_ "—they do! They sway and you pout just like a little girl! Hmm, in fact, I think you're far more attractive than most girls! Perhaps the only fault here is that you were born with a penis." Kida looked down, closed his eyes, and folded his arms in contemplation. "Hmmm… oh well!" With his arms still folded and eyes still closed, Kida lifted his head and the goofy grin returned to his face. "Well, now that that's settled, how about we discuss the going ou—!"

Masaomi suddenly felt a bone-crushing pain in his private regions; Mikado had certainly aimed his kick well. Masaomi buckled over in pain while a flushed Mikado was running as fast as he could away from the scene, where many bystanders stayed both very delighted and amused by the "act."

It hadn't been worth it for Mikado to leave his house that afternoon.  
*

Mikado slowed his run to a walk when he felt he was far away, and then stopped when he was certain he was far away enough. He tried his best to catch his breath, and took the chance to think about what may have just happened. What _did_ happen? _What the hell was Kida-kun thinking?_

It _didn't_ make any sense to him. Why would Kida-kun do something like that? It had to be a joke – a really bad one, at that – because Kida was being his corny self, as usual. He didn't seem to take what he said seriously, so Mikado concluded that he wouldn't, either. _But still … WHY would he do something like that?_ _In _public_, on top of it all!_

Kida-kun was always trying to get girls; he _seriously_ doubted that Kida would suddenly decide to swing the other way. If this was a joke, which it probably was, then Kida had taken it too far. Mikado knew that no one would likely recognize him as the "boy that got confessed to," but he knew he wouldn't really be able to show his face around the park for a while … it was too great an _embarrassment_.

But _why _would Kida-kun be willing to do something like that in public? It didn't just hurt Mikado's' reputation, it hurt Kida's as well. Doing that in _public_ meant that the girls there would see that he "swung a different way" … Suddenly, he remembered the giggles that he had heard from some girls when they witnessed Kida "confessing." Realization hit Mikado like a two-ton brick.

_That WAS Kida's aim all along … he was targeting girls that would feel "safe" around him … he was putting on an ACT of "gay-ness" to attract girls through a totally different means …_

That conclusion may have lessened the confusion Mikado had, but it only made him angrier with Kida. _If that had been Kida's aim in the first place, then why did he find it necessary NOT to warn me in advance? _A little voice in his brain said: _Because you'd've said no right off the bat._ But then again, who _wouldn't_?

He felt his face begin to flush again, and inwardly growled. _Damn it, Kida-kun, sometimes you take things a little too far … _that was _not_ the kind of excitement he'd been expecting in Ikebukuro.

He shook his head; he decided that he wasn't going to think about this much more until he got home. Speaking of which…_ which way _is_ home? _He suddenly realized that this part of Ikebukuro was unfamiliar to him. He should've paid attention to where he was running…

Sighing and mentally blaming his "friend," he decided back-tracking the way was his best bet. He turned around and started walking, trying to keep everything off of his mind. Right now, he needed to relax, let his mind go elsewhere…

"Iiiiiizzzzzaaaaayyyyyaaaa!"

Mikado quickly snapped out of his thoughts and spun around to see where the howled voice had come from, only to see that a great big hunk of machinery was being _thrown straight at him!_

It _definitely_ hadn't been worth it for Mikado to leave his house that afternoon.


	2. The Running of the Bull

**AN: …0.0 We love you people. We weren't expecting that many reviews, alerts, and favorites to suddenly flood in. It almost scares us to think about how many of you there are. Thank you~! Once again, this chapter isn't the longest chapter in the world, but it's something. Blame the Kitty for the rules (Kitty is yelling in the background: "The rules are there for a**_** reason**_**, baka!").**

**Sooo anyways to add another note, we've got three-fourths of this planned out, but we really don't care about what happens in the end. Well, we **_**do **_**care, but … ugh, you get what we're saying. We're going to give reviewers three choices that they can vote for throughout however many more chapters we write before hitting the crucial point: Happy, Tragedy, or Somewhere-in-the-Middle. Bonus points to those who can explain why in terms other than "because it is / isn't meant to be."**

**Also, if you see any errors or feel that this chapter is written like cr*p, please let me know. I was wrote most of this late at night (night time is the only time we can really write for the next few weeks) and Kitty wasn't really around to proofread it all and I find action-y scenes to be a pain to write well. I'm probably going to "replace" this chapter at some point with improved diction. Just FYI. Please read and review.**

**DISCLAIMER: We do not in any way own the characters/scenes/… oh you know the drill I'm sure.**

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What Happens Gradually…

**A Durarara! Fanfiction by Kitty & Foxy**

**Chapter Two: The Running of the Bull**

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While his boss went into the Russian-owned Sushi restaurant to finish up some business with a client, Shizuo stepped outside to enjoy what he hoped to be a peaceful moment. He didn't feel like having to beat the shit out of any more people today. He doubted that he would have to; this "client" was supposedly in a first-time meeting, meaning they were being asked for a loan rather than having to go and collect.

He lit himself a cigar, leaned back against the building, and smoked it while he watched the crowds of people pass buy. It was these small moments he liked; the ones where he could relax and just not really do anything. The moments where his adrenaline didn't overtake him completely. He liked these kinds of moments.

He could have gone in, but he didn't really feel like listening to Simon repetitively say: "Sushi! Buy some sushi! It's good, yes!" Simon wasn't intentionally being annoying. The giant was friendly and chatty… but all he ever seemed to talk about – or allude to – was sushi. It got on Shizuo's nerves a little, and he made it a point to try and avoid potential triggers that weren't intentionally done. He actually did quite well on keeping the triggers from going off; usually they didn't go off unless someone physically provoked him through fighting. But then again, there was _one _trigger that he couldn't keep from firing off after only two seconds of seeing the stimulus…

"Shizu-chan! Fancy meeting you here!"

Speak of the Louse.

***  
As some little Spanish towns have the festival best known as the "Running of the Bulls," Ikebukuro had its own approximation of such a festival. Only, Ikebukuro's "festival" was unpredictable, and perhaps even more dangerous than having a herd of aggravated bulls running through the streets. A man by the name of Orihara Izaya was the bull-fighter (the only one that ever really DARED to cross paths with the bull), and a man by the name of Heiwajima Shizuo was the rampaging, aggravated bull. And anyone who was smart enough to save their own lives was smart enough to move out of their way when they went upon a rampage.

To say that Shizuo was becoming frustrated would be an understatement. The _Louse_ was toying with him, and that was a flat-out no-no to do to Shizuo. Of course, since when did a _louse_ ever really understand what was right to do and what wasn't?

Shizuo, quite fed up with the chase at this point, growled as the stupid flea started to taunt him. "Shizu-chan~, despite all that muscle you have, you never seem to have enough strength to catch up to me! Hmm, maybe it's all just upper body strength and you're only able to chuck things around like a gorilla!"

The Louse then had the guts to that's when his main trigger fired. Adrenaline rushed into his veins and he felt his own power start to pool within him.

In his blind rage, an unchained bike leaning against the side of the store became the victim of Shizuo's next antic. He lifted the poor, unsuspecting bike high in to the sky, and with a mighty cry of "Iiiiiizzzzzaaaaayyyyyaaaa!", the bike was catapulted over the crowd to where he thought Izaya was standing. He just wanted to get that damn Louse.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

***  
Mikado wasn't having what anyone would call a typical day. By far, it was one of the most abnormal days he had experienced since the day he came to Ikebukuro. First, Kida weirded out on him (no doubt purposefully) and had humiliated them both in public (at least, Mikado felt that way). Second, he had gotten himself lost by running away from said humiliation. Now there was a bike _flying right at him._ He almost wanted to believe it couldn't get any worse – but that would jinx him, wouldn't it?

He stood there, frozen and slack mouthed in that second he saw the bike flying – but then felt himself get jerked to the side just in time to see the bike fly past him yet and crash against a store's wall.

_Huh…? What just happened…?_ He still felt stunned, and looked to see what had jerked him.

"You're going to get yourself crushed standing there like that." In that teasing tone, he could've recognized the speaker even if he hadn't looked at him.

Orihara-san then turned to (… _Heiwajima … Shizuo, was that his name?_ Mikado wondered as he attempted to recall what Kida had told him the first day in Ikebukuro) who was now slowly progressing forward and growling. "Oy, Shizu-chan, you can't even aim properly! You must be losing your touch!" Did he just _tease_ the giant that was advancing towards them?

Then again, he should have expected Orihara-san do something like that. He'd seen the two fight before, and when they fought it was clear that neither was trying to _discourage_ it. But Mikado didn't like the fact that he was standing in between the two of them.

"Umm, Orihara-san, you can let go of me now –" Mikado chuckled nervously, trying to pull off to the side, but Izaya kept his grip on him. _Why? Why do these things keep happening to me? I know I wanted excitement but…_

_Let's see exactly what the Dollars' leader is capable of,_ Izaya thought to himself, a devilish plan formulating in his mind. "Bye, Shizu-chan!" Izaya took off for a nearby alleyway, dragging Mikado along with him.

"H-hey, wait a minute, I don't want to be dragged into this-!" But he kept running as well now that Shizuo-san was trailing closely behind them in the alleyway. He'd seen Shizuo in this state of mind before and Mikado knew that he didn't stop until he had caught his target. Right now, he was pretty sure he was considered a target.

"You can stop running now, but I wouldn't recommend it!" Izaya replied almost_ too_ cheerfully as he let go of Mikado's arm, ran ahead and disappeared around the corner.

"O-Orihara-san, wait up!" Mikado ran around the corner as well, regaining his balance after nearly slipping from the quick turn and doing his best to catch up with Orihara-san.

Somehow (he wasn't quite sure how, since he didn't know he could even run that fast) Mikado managed to catch up to Orihara-san. "J-just what did you do to provoke him?" He shouted at Orihara-san, but he got no answer. _Figures,_ Mikado inwardly groaned.

They turned yet another corner, and Mikado nearly stopped when he saw that the entire alleyway was blocked off by a chain-link fence. His eyes went wide. _Shit, we're trapped here…! _He slowed down, but didn't stop since he was unsure as to why Orihara was still running full-speed towards the fence.

"Hey, Orihara-san, what do you think you're—" Mikado started, but his eyes only grew wider when Orihara practically leapt onto the fence and climbed over it in a jiffy.

Izaya turned, smirking at the bewildered expression on Mikado's face. He gave a little wave as he called out: "You're not going to survive long if you don't learn how to overcome obstacles like this!" And with that, he started off down the street again.

Mikado turned to look behind him, and of course, Shizuo was still chasing after them. He decided it would probably be better not to think about _why _he should keep running right now, and just focus on _how_ he was going to get out of his predicament.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU IIIZZZZAAAAYYYYYAAAA!"

The battle cry was enough for Mikado to decide that climbing the fence and following Orihara was probably the smartest idea. _Orihara-san has evaded this guy enough to live this long, he's got to know how to lose him. _Plus, getting in Shizuo's way when he was in rampage-mode probably wasn't the brightest idea either.

Mikado, though he had never climbed a fence of any kind before, was surprised at how quickly he reached the top of it. But that was when an age-old instinct kicked in; he was afraid to jump down because he might break something.

It was a twist of irony that that instinct is what led to him falling off the pole. He had hesitated due to his instinctively-built fear; the bull had caught up to him and had literally rammed the fence. Mikado lost his balance and fell off the fence. The good news was that it was the opposite side of the fence. The bad news was that he fell right into a pile of mud and grime at the base of the fence, no doubt wet from the rain showers that they had earlier that afternoon.

He quickly got himself up, though, when Shizuo emitted more odd growling noises and started _ripping the fence right out of the ground._

_He's got to be inhuman! _Mikado couldn't help but think as he started running again. He was inwardly crying. _Great, now I'm covered in filth too! But at least I didn't break anything … yet._

He saw Orihara appear back around the corner, and call out "This way!" and disappear again. Mikado sped up around the corner when he heard the _clank! _of the chain-link fence clatter to the ground.

As what goes through anyone's mind when they have a bad or unlucky day, Mikado thought _Why is this happening to me?_

***  
After what seemed like an eternity of running through alleyways and corners, though Shizuo seemed farther behind them now, Orihara stopped running and glanced around, chuckling. "Looks like we lost him!" Izaya was also somewhat surprised at Mikado's agility; he hadn't really expected him to run that fast. But then again, most people performed surprising stunts when someone was chasing after them. Especially if it was Shizu-chan.

Mikado leaned back against the wall, trying to catch his breath and nearly choking doing so. He looked down and grimaced when he saw just how muddy his clothes had gotten. Plus, it was raining now. _Luck just isn't on my side today…_

He then heard Orihara laughing, and looked over with a glare. "That was fun, wasn't it?" Orihara-san exclaimed.

…_He's insane…_ "Orihara-san, why did you get me involved in this?" Mikado knew he was being somewhat rude, but after being involuntarily dragged though something that could have easily gotten him killed, as well as everything else that had happened today, rudeness was expected.

"You shouldn't be one to complain; after all, you came to Ikebukuro to find a little excitement, didn't you?" Izaya smirked.

Mikado didn't feel like putting up with anything anymore. He sighed, walking forwards a little after regaining his breath. "Can you please just point me back towards the main street?"

Orihara pointed out the direction that Mikado presumed was the way to the main street. Mikado uttered a small "thank you" and started out in the rain in that direction. He just wanted to go home now and sleep off the rest of the day before anything else happened to him.

Izaya was about to walk in the opposite direction, but stopped when he spied a certain figure running down towards them at the other end of the street. _He just doesn't give up, does he? The big brute._

"Mikado-kun!"

Mikado turned, a little caught-off-guard by the fact that Orihara-san was standing right behind him. "What?"

He felt a weight drop on his shoulders, and was surprised to see that it was Orihara's jacket. _…What the hell is he up to now?_

"You don't seem like the type to go home covered in street grime." Orihara shrugged. "See you later!" And with that, Izaya darted off to who knew where.

Unfortunately, Mikado didn't really have time to think about Orihara's intentions, because when he heard heavy grunting behind him and turned to look, the last thing he remembered was a street sign swinging right at him.

**AN: Hahahah, and you all probably thought we'd let Mikado get away without getting hit. ;)**


	3. The Calm after the Storm

**AN: **Gosh … we feel horrible for abandoning you all for so long … thank you to those who stuck around! We're really sorry, we really did have a LOT of things to do and then college just up-and-smacked us in the head. So far all ending votes have been for "happy" (Foxy is chewing her tails off as we speak), so chances are it'll end up happy … although I can't promise that since Foxy will be doing the bulk of this particular fanfiction from now on since I kinda … slacked (I honestly don't care for this pairing). You have to convince her – heck, bribe or blackmail her even – if you want happy. She'll probably end up killing someone off sooner or later, so you better tell her NOW who you don't like. Although, she also promised to make the next SzMk fanfiction the other answer … so if this is happy, the next will be tragedy. Beware. Blame her for anything you don't like from now on. Oh yes, to answer a reviewer's question: YES. eventually this will end up SzMk. But it's gradual. Hence the title. Foxy is also mad because doesn't seem to let us write "?" and "!" right next to one another ... which is really stupid. So those are missing in some places. We're sure you can imagine where. Please read and review and once again, thank you for your patience.

**DISCLAIMER: We do not in any way own the characters/scenes/… oh you know the drill I'm sure.**

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**What Happens Gradually…**

**A Durarara! Fanfiction by Kitty & Foxy**

**Chapter Three: The Calm After the Storm**

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Thhwwwaaaaccckk!

The sound of the metal crushing bone intensely satisfied the beast within him. He felt his adrenaline lower and his muscles relax when he saw Izaya literally drop to the ground and not move. Maybe he really had killed the louse … not that he'd care. The Louse no doubt deserved nothing more.

He let the street sign clatter to the ground, and let loose a satisfied growl. He finally got the damn idiot in front of him … but yet, as his anger lessened, something didn't seem quite right …

Now that he thought about it a little, the Louse was too short to be the Louse.

Although his instinct was telling him to ignore it and just walk away (proud, no doubt), his brain wanted to double check and confirm it was it. Using his foot, he pushed the unmoving body's shoulder and flipped it onto its upside.

Turns out it wasn't the Louse.

Although his facial expression did not change, he was inwardly stirring up a storm. Damn it, this was the _fourth_ time he's mistaken someone for the Louse!

He simply stood there for a moment, contemplating in his mind what he should do (if anything) as he let his rage go down from a full broil to a moderate simmer. In the end, he decided that he would just have to get the rat some other time as he pulled out his phone and started to message a friend for advice.  
*

The first thing that he noticed when he started to come around wasn't the pain or the fact that he couldn't see anything for a few minutes, but it was the thick smell of ointment hanging over his head. The smell made his nose cringe. He was fairly certain that he didn't have any bottles of strong scented ointment in his apartment … the strongest smelling stuff he had was the kitchen soap and the bleach used for cleaning. This didn't smell like either of those. He felt inclined to start figuring out just what it was he smelled: after all, if he'd left the cap off of something, he didn't want it to spoil or go bad …

The second thing he noticed was that he couldn't see anything clearly. It was all … fuzzy. Not to mention disturbingly bright. Bright enough to keep squinting, trying to get his eyes to focus. He allowed himself a few seconds to adjust, before opening them up enough to move his eyes to get a preview of the room. _Let's see … a TV … kitchen … nice sofas and chairs …_ Yep. Already this was too far a nice place to be his apartment. He couldn't exactly live in luxury. The meager allowance he received from his parents barely afforded rent and food.

_So … where am I then?_ He tried to recall where he last was. He'd been with Kida-kun … then he was walking home … then he met someone. It took Mikado a moment to remember who it was. _Oh right, it was Orihara-san._ And he'd been giving him … directions? After making him run from something? Then Izaya had offered him a jacket? That had been … strangely thoughtful. And then he remembered getting hit HARD by something. He frowned a little. Maybe it was just his imagination, but the whole coat thing seemed awfully suspicious now …

He decided to try to push himself up from the sofa he was lying on.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Mikado jumped at the sudden voice he heard, but that jump alerted him of the thundering pain in his head, neck and back. He fell back down, letting out a small cry of pain. "Oww oww oww!" _How didn't I notice the pain before?_

"There's a seventy percent chance you felt that from your cranium, a twenty-five percent chance you felt pain from your neck, and a five percent chance you felt it through your spine." Came the almost too cheery answer. "So, which was it?"

He waited to adjust to the pain before turning his head over to see the source of the voice. He half expected to see some deranged mad scientist with an assortment of scalpels at his side (he'd had been watching too many horror films lately). Instead, he saw a rather young and chipper looking man wearing a friendly smile. This wasn't quite what Mikado pictured, but it was a lot more welcoming. He looked nice. But the question now persisting in his mind was why he wasn't at home. Where was he, and who was this strange man? And what was with the way he talked? He seemed a little _too_ interested in where his pain was coming from. A normal person would be concerned, yes, but … he seemed to be more intrigued than concerned. He could guess that the man was a doctor as he was wearing a white lab coat, and that's why he said what he said. But he still looked too young to be a doctor. Still, it couldn't hurt to ask. But, due to his disoriented (and aching) state, he couldn't really get what he wanted to say to come out right.

"Who … Wher …"

"Who am I? You can call me Kishitani Shinra! Don't worry, I'm an authentic doctor with a degree and all, though you wouldn't have ever heard of me because my work is, well, a little 'under the table' as you'd call it. But I assure you, despite what my girlfriend would tell you, I do _not_ perform unauthorized experiments on my patients or probe too much when it's unnecessary."

Mikado forced a small smile, although it was something between a smile and a grimace. _Why does he feel it necessary to tell me that …?_

"You were banged up a bit by Shizuo-kun! Ah, you probably know him as Heiwajima Shizuo, though. I'm rather used to him bringing in victims of his antics. He's been doing it for a while, ever since the hospitals have threatened to sue him if he brought in another victim of his rampages. Too many people have been caught in the crossfire. Still, I didn't think he'd hit a kid … he probably didn't see you. But, with that rage of his, I guess anything's possible. Quite remarkable how his body's able to withstand the physical pressure placed on it now. It's like the ultimate evolution of the human body: being able to ignore what your brain limits you to do. A super human, I guess."

_He's like a kid in candy store when talking about these things._ Kishitani was starting to sound a lot like Kida-kun … rambling on about nothing and nonsense with a heated passion and a never ending flow of gestures.

"Before I get off track, you're in my and my girlfriend's apartment! Too bad she's out right now. She's the cutest thing ever, and she's got quite a punch too, despite her adorable figure!"

Mikado could only respond with a blink.

"So, any questions?" Shinra asked, going back to the smiling state.

"… I …" Mikado started, unsure of how to answer. "I don't think … so …"

"Ah, good then. Don't worry, I'll be around if you have any. I guess I should inform you of what's wrong. Well, you're recovering from a mild concussion received from blunt trauma to the head. You've only been out for a little while. You should probably stick around another day to make sure there aren't going to be any strange complications, but after that, you'll be fine."

"T-thanks …" Mikado replied, and went back to trying to ignore the pain in his head. He didn't even want to sit up. He'd figure out his exact situation later.  
*

"Ah! My honey's home!" Shinra cheered when he heard the front door open and shut.

Mikado watched the "doctor" run from the room to greet the said "girlfriend" out in the hallway. _I wonder who it is?_ Not that it really mattered much …

Imagine his surprise when he saw the Black Rider come into the room.

"C-Celty-san …?" Mikado's eyes went wide, his brain trying to work while ignoring the now dulling pain (thanks to painkillers) in his head. Yet Kishitani-san insisted that he keep lying down to make sure that his brain didn't "slosh around the wrong way."

[How are you feeling, Mikado?] Celty typed on her device as she walked up to Mikado, showing it to him at an angle he could read.

"Okay … I think …" Mikado still felt stumped. "You live with a boyfriend …?" It wasn't exactly what he'd expected. Think about it: Celty was headless. How did she even … well, he didn't want to _insult_ her, but he thought it would be a little difficult to get a boyfriend without a _head._

[Ignore Shinra. He likes to jump to conclusions about our relationship.] Celty quickly answered.

"So you must know Celty! Usually people jump or scream when they see her." Shinra grinned. Celty typed up something new and showed it to Shinra, so Mikado had no idea what she said to him. "Oh, that explains it. Well it's nice to finally meet you, Mikado-kun! Celty has a lot to say about you."

Mikado wasn't sure what to think of that.

"So … how'd I end up here?" He asked. _Does Shizuo also know Celty-san, then?_

[Shizuo asked me to come and take you to Shinra.] Celty typed. [He's not allowed to take his victims to the hospital anymore due to a … misunderstanding.]

"Ah …" He knew that bit already. "Sorry for imposing like this …"

[Not at all. For once I don't have to hide from one of his victims when they're here.] She answered.

"I'm sure it costs something … I'll pay you back –"

"No need. Shizuo-kun already took care of that." Shinra answered for them.

… _Heiwajima-san paid for it …?_ "A-are you sure?"

"It wasn't that much, and he insisted. He said he felt bad for mistaking you for Izaya-kun." Shinra smiled with a wave. "You're just lucky he noticed it before he went in for the kill."

_He mistook me for Orihara-san …?_ Suddenly, the jacket bit was making a lot of sense. … And he couldn't think up an appropriate insult for Izaya either, since he didn't particularly like or dislike the mischievous informant.

"Oh …"

[You can stay here the night. I'll take you back tomorrow once Shinra O.K.s you.] Celty informed Mikado lying on the couch.

He nodded the best he could, moving his head around on the pillow to get more comfortable. "Thanks." _I'll have to thank Heiwajima-san too … next time I see him. When he isn't running amok._

"Now who should cook? Me, or Celty my Honey?"  
*

_I've been humiliated … my heart's been crushed … and Mikado's missed two whole days of school. _Masaomi wasn't sure which worry he should be the most worried about as he sat in his classroom, bored by the subject matter being taught. He started thinking back to when he had 'confessed' only a few days before.

He'd confessed his little heart out to its fullest delight and it had been ultimately crushed … well, rather, a different region was crushed. But his heart had still been broken, nonetheless.

He absentmindedly rested his head on his desk, trying to hide his reddened face from the rest of the class. _Why did Mikado react like that? I thought he said that he was happy …_ but, as he thought about it more, he realized that Mikado had probably thought that he'd meant that he'd found the 'special girl.' _Leave it to me to completely botch a serious confession._

Maybe Masaomi _had _been a little too forward. He should've known by now that Mikado wasn't fond of extreme outbursts, and this one seemed to have scared off his friend for at _least_ a few days. Masaomi had taken yesterday off to 'recover' from the pain heartbreak and a different type of pain, but he still hadn't worked up the courage to call Mikado to 'apologize.' Yet he was surprised when Anri told him this morning that Mikado had been absent yesterday as well.

_He's probably trying to avoid me … Okay, remember what you came up with yesterday. Mikado's only going to be scared off for good if you try again too soon. Next time, don't scream at him, try to make more sense, AND don't do it in public. Wait a few weeks for him to forget about it. _Masaomi nodded to himself, wishing that next time it would work. He just hoped that the little dutch boy wouldn't let the dam leak again before that time. He knew he shouldn't hope that Mikado actually understood him the first time around (how likely was that?), and he knew he'd have to get his point across more … _seriously_ next time. _God damn it, why is it so easy to go and pick up random girls, whereas it's next to impossible to get my point across to my best friend?_ Life was unfair it seemed. _Okay, I'll apologize tomorrow. If he still isn't in school tomorrow, then I'll go over and talk to him._  
*

Masaomi didn't have to worry about going over to Mikado's. The next day, he spotted his friend on the way to school. _… He looks sick._ Masaomi frowned as he walked up to his friend.

"Hey, Mikado!" Masaomi cheered, seeing his friend look up at him.

"H-hey." Came the awkward reply.

"Uuh, buddy, I'm sorry about what happened a few days ago. Got a little too excited." Masaomi chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"Sorry, what are you talking about?"

… _Seriously?_ Masaomi filled up with despair. _He never thought about it? _He could tell that his friend genuinely appeared confused. "The fiasco that you felt you had to kick me in my jewels for?"

"…Oh, yeah." Mikado flushed a little. "Sorry about that …"

"N-nah, I probably deserved it …" _Oh the gods must hate me!_ Masaomi inwardly started to cry. _This is harder than I thought it'd be …_ "So, then, where were you the past few days?"

"I had a concussion, so I had to take a few days off."

_A concussion? From what?_ Masaomi started to panic. "What? Is that why you look like a sick zombie from who knows where? What happened?"

"Eheheh, I kind of got caught between Heiwajima-san's and Izaya-san's crossfire …" Mikado knew he had to phrase that carefully, since technically both were at fault. "And I'm sick because of food poisoning …" He should've expected bad food from Celty. She didn't exactly have taste buds, so how could she be a "great cook" as Kishitani-san had phrased it?

"… Okay, you seriously need to tell me all of it." Masaomi frowned, moving in right next to his friend, waiting for every detail as the two walked ahead to the school.

It seemed things were back to normal … for now.


	4. Placidity

**AN:** Yep … we took a long time again. . We're super sorry. At least it's the March Mayhem! (And believe me, it's _freaking killing us!_) Anyways, pleeeaaase read and review. Please let me know of errors too! REVIEW!

**Special Notice:** Whoever submits the best one-shot idea _ever_ (of your own creativity and uniqueness, please nothing insanely cliché) by March 15th, 2011, will receive a one-shot of said idea on March 31st, 2011. This one-shot can be of anything (angst, romance, smut, horror, cuteness, pairing / non-pairing, etc.) so long as it's creative, it's game. Your request to us needs to be thought-out, along with any little "bullet points" you want us to note or write. The one-shot will be pushed into the 7,000 – 10,000 word range, unless the requester wants less. We'll pick the one that appeals to the both of us (if you aren't picked, no worries – we still might ask to do it). We will give partial credit to the requester. Any further questions? Just add them into your request when you message us. Multiple submissions are allowed. We have no submissions as of yet!

**Disclaimer:** We do not in any way own the characters/scenes/ … oh you know the drill I'm sure.

* * *

**What Happens Gradually …**

**A Durarara! Fanfiction by Kitty & Foxy**

**Chapter Four: Placidity

* * *

**

A few weeks had passed since the excitement, and things had calmed back down to a normal level. Mikado's concussion (and food poisoning) were gone, and he seemed to be back to normal after all the commotion. Masaomi "appeared" to be okay as well, but inside, he was still stirring up a storm about what to do.

It had been scary enough when he started having … thoughts about his best friend. It became even scarier when he started having those thoughts in _front_ of his friend. Panicking that maybe he was turning gay or bisexual from the lack of attention from girls, he had gathered up the courage about two months ago to look up porn of both and see which turned him on more. Scarily enough, he still felt disgusted by the homosexual porn (unless there were two females involved, but that was different to him! They looked a lot cleaner and didn't have to do as many disgusting things!). Eventually, he figured it was because he liked his best friend's personality and habits. Not necessarily the physical form, but the like of his personality was making him see things. Like how cute Mikado looked when flustered. You know, the thoughts he should only be having about girls. Girls still looked cute to him, but somehow Mikado had gotten mixed in that category as well. And he had to do something about it.

While Masaomi was relieved that Mikado hadn't taken his first confession seriously, he was also distraught that Mikado didn't take the confession seriously. Mikado seemed to have let it slide, probably passing it off as one of his antics and not something serious. _Now how am I supposed to get him to take it seriously? And if I try it again, he'll think I'm being too persistent and might be weirded out …_

He closed his locker, sighing as he dragged himself to his next class. He knew he'd probably still have to wait a while longer before trying again, but he kept going over the three key points in his mind, hoping, that after enough repetition, they'd actually stick. _One: make sense, don't ramble. Two: don't scream. Three: don't do it in public._ Mikado was the kind of guy who liked sense of things, so asking him to make sense from hyperactivity wasn't going to work (it never had). Yes, it had already been a few weeks, and Mikado hadn't taken the first confession seriously (and had probably forgotten all about it), but he should wait a bit longer. To be on the safe side.

… For now, he'd just have to stick with girls.  
*

School ended, and after walking around for a while (getting a whole lot of street and world news from the talkative blond), the Raira trio decided to head out to a fast food joint and pick up some food. Mikado and Anri sat on one side of the booth, while Masaomi sat opposite of them, still rambling on about something or another.

After a while into the conversation (something about a debate over an office?), Mikado felt his phone vibrate, so he took it out. He was slightly confused at who could be texting him, as Masaomi was usually the one to message him insanity and he was right in front of him.

"Who is it?" Masaomi asked, trying to lean far over to glance at the phone. Mikado shied away, but couldn't move too far without bumping Sonohara-san (which to him seemed taboo). He somehow managed to find an angle at which he could read and Masaomi couldn't, so he opened up the message.

_[Hello, Mikado-kun! Just wondering if you still have my jacket. Don't worry, I have a spare in case you don't!]_

Mikado frowned. _Since when did he take a liking to texting me …? _Then the other question. _And why would I give him back the stupid coat when it literally landed me in a bad situation? _He mentally shivered when he remembered the situation. Yes, it had some thrill. But he didn't want to be in that situation again if he could help it. _Speaking of which, I still have to thank Heiwajima-san for taking me to a doctor … even if he was the one that knocked me unconscious in the first place …_

"Just show me already!" Masaomi made a grab for the phone, but Mikado shoved it under the table in time and stuffed it in his pocket.

"Masaomi, why do you care?" Mikado frowned. "There's such a thing as privacy!"

"Oh, I get it! You've got a lady friend that you don't want the lovely Anri-chan knowing about! You playboy!"

"P-p-playboy? Coming from _you?"_

"Ah hahah, you didn't deny it!"

"T-that's not the point and it's not a lady friend!"

Mikado turned into a blushing, stammering fool once more, little realizing that Masaomi was doing it on purpose because he liked seeing his friend all red and flustered (the pervert). Anri remained quiet as the two continued bickering about simple things, able to recognize things that they thought she didn't know.  
*

The three of them had gone their separate ways after paying the bill for the meal. Masaomi had, as Mikado counted each time, made a total of ninety-four jokes in the two hours and a half they'd been hanging out together. _He never stops rambling … he just keeps talking. Wasn't there a study or something saying that insecure people are either really, really shy or really, really loud? _He frowned. He doubted Masaomi felt _that _insecure. He seemed happy enough when he was talking, and was hardly in any way unconfident. At least, not that he could see.

He started down the street, noticing that the sky was starting to darken. Had he really been out that long? Probably. _I need to get home and do my essay … _he frowned. School really liked loading essays on their students, didn't it? Either way, he had to get good grades if he wanted his allowance from his parents to pay the bills with.

He had been walking for a while, a little lost in his thoughts, when he noticed something familiar starting towards him. He started focusing on reality, and recognized it within seconds.

_Ah, it's Heiwajima-san._ Mikado noted, spotting the tall ... tall human sporting bartender clothes coming down the sidewalk towards him. _That's right, I still have to thank him, don't I?_

But, as the giant started approaching his direction, he felt ever more nervous. Seriously, the guy was really intimidating. And seeing as how Mikado had been the victim of one of his assaults once, it was only natural that he wanted to shrink away a little. He tightened his grip around his bag's strap, took a deep breath, and walked up to the beast, stopping in front of him.

"A-ano, Heiwajima-san?" Mikado knew his voice had faultered a little. _Damn it. _Sometimes, he wished he had a little bit of Masaomi's confidence when it came to such things …

The bartender stopped, looking down at Mikado in confusion.

Mikado bowed down, saying his thanks. "T-thank you for taking me to the doctor a few weeks ago!"

… _Strange kid … doctor … _Shizuo frowned. "Sorry, but who are you?"

Mikado deadpanned a little, straightening back up. _He doesn't recognize me? At all? _"I'm R-Ryugamine Mikado … y-you took me to Celty's after … uhh … ?" He wasn't sure how to phrase it. _After you knocked me out cold? Yeah, that's … that's not the right way to do it._

Shizuo seemed to be thinking for a full minute, but then remembered. _Ah, the brat that I mistook for the flea. _Funny, he didn't remember the kid at all. Damn it, now he felt guilty. Now he had an urge to go beat up the flea. _I better not run across him tonight._ "Sorry about that, kid." Shizuo ruffled the kid's hair (he forgot the name again), and started walking ahead towards his destination again.

Mikado stood there, a little … put off. That was it? That's all it took? _That must just be how he handles things … _he decided. It was definitely a change from the bubbly blond he knew. Shrugging, he headed back to his home, feeling better now that he had gotten the thanks over with.  
*

Shizuo, on the other hand, did not feel too much better. A few days had passed since seeing the … Ryugasaki kid. He felt guilty now. He wanted to strangle the flea. He knew there were hardly any connections he could make between those two thoughts, but that's how they related, and that's that.

It wasn't like the kid was the first one he'd mistaken for Izaya. He'd mistaken others for Izaya before. So why did he feel so guilty about this one? … Probably because it was a kid. A kid that didn't seem to be into anything shady, and had somehow just gotten dragged along. Shizuo didn't like hurting people, if he could help it (the Louse was the exception). He knew he often times lost control of his strength, which could end up hurting people a lot more than if he simply had a normal temper tantrum.

… This sucked. He was going to get the flea next time. The _real_ flea. He took out a cigarette and lit it, continuing on his walk on his way to meet Tom at work. Cigarettes made him feel relaxed. Yes, it was addictive. But relaxing as well. And with his strength, he needed the relaxation. His bartender suit made him feel relaxed as well. It was from Kasuka, the one who had no emotions, after all. The only time the suits angered him was when the suits were damaged. Then he would rage. But, other than that, the smokes and the suits made him placid, and he couldn't really ask for more.

He heard a kid breathing heavily as it ran past him, presumably late for school. Shizuo frowned as the kid started to pass him. _It's the kid … well, it is a kid, but it's the kid._

"Hey." Shizuo stated rather loudly, offering a hand up in a really small wave. The kid skidded a little when slowing down, turned around, a little surprised and caught off guard.

"H-Heiwajima-san?" The kid blinked, with the _is-he-really-talking-to-me _frightened look on his face.

"You go to Raira, right, Ryugasaki?" Shizuo recognized the uniform, and tried to remember what the kid's name was. He thinks he got it right …

"Y-yeah … and it's Ryugamine …" The kid faltered. "I-I'm sorry, I'm running late, I can't talk right now! Sorry!" And the kid started his run again, heading off towards the school. _So Ryugasaki goes to Raira …_ as predicted, the name hadn't reached him again. He kept on walking forward, taking a deep breath of his smoke and frowning. Yep. He was going to crush the flea after work.


End file.
